Dreams of expansion mark light-rail groundbreaking ceremony

By Mike Lindblom
Seattle Times staff reporter

	JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES Nicholas Trunkey, left, plays with leftover confetti as Quinton Lewis plays nearby after the groundbreaking ceremony for Sound Transit's light-rail project in Seattle's Sodo area yesterday.
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Yesterday it became a field of dreams.

Even before a scooping machine dumped its honorary first load of dirt at the site of Sound Transit's future light-rail maintenance base, elected officials at a groundbreaking ceremony signaled they will soon promote additional train lines.

"We're going to dig and dig and dig and dig, until the light-rail project gets to Bellevue, gets to Everett, gets to Tacoma," said Chairman Ron Sims, the King County executive.

In a few days, construction workers will begin laying the first mile of track in the Sodo area for the first $2.44 billion, 14-mile line from Westlake Center to Tukwila. There's no financing yet for additional lines, which would probably need a voter-approved tax increase.

Yesterday morning's party included a lion dance, firecrackers, music by the Seattle All City Marching Band, and a choice of free barbecue or sub sandwiches. A soul group played "Brick House" and "Masquerade" as hundreds arrived at the site.

Elected leaders strained to produce rhetoric tall enough for the occasion.

"Today, we celebrate one small step for light rail, one giant leap for Seattle," said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, who represents North End suburbs, relayed an anecdote about Benjamin Franklin: When someone questioned the usefulness of hot-air balloon travel, the inventor replied "What good is a newborn baby?" The Sound Transit system starts small but will grow until it reaches his district, Inslee said. "Someday, there's going to be nothing 'light' about light rail."

	JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels speaks to the crowd in front of a mural showing the reach of Sound Transit's light-rail project.

"Sound Transit is the little engine that could, and all I can say is full-steam ahead," said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash, who played a key role in securing a $500 million federal grant to fund one-fifth of the project.

Nickels said the Seattle-Tukwila construction will create 4,245 jobs to ease the area's recession. That number is an estimate based on other transportation projects, transit staff members said.

While officials praised each other, Nickels called local taxpayers "the real heroes" for underwriting $2 billion worth of transit investments.

After seven years of plans, mistakes and political fights, the project finally got its go-ahead two weeks ago, when the Federal Transit Administration signed the grant agreement.

Two risks remain. A recent state Supreme Court ruling in favor of tax-cutting Initiative 776 might reduce future transit revenues — although the agency has guaranteed the light-rail project can reach Tukwila. Another case, seeks to put light rail to another public vote, because it is shorter and costlier than voters were initially promised.

With momentum building, discussions over how rail lines could reach the University District and Northgate are set to resume in a few weeks.

And soon, officials will consider "high-capacity transit" across the Interstate 90 Floating Bridge. Fundamental questions about Eastside rail have yet to be explored: What does it cost? Would there be a tunnel to downtown Bellevue, or a direct surface route to Eastgate and Issaquah? Can trains operate on the floating bridge, or would a new bridge be needed?

There were no protests yesterday.

"Light rail is riding high right now," acknowledged John Niles, technical director for the Coalition for Effective Transportation Alternatives, which supports bus rapid transit or monorail. "I put myself in their shoes, and I wonder how they're going to do it. What's their secret plan?"

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com

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